Appendix 3

Meeting of the Leader and Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development

Summary of comments for the from the People Scrutiny Committee: Health and Social Care Integration Programme (HASCIP) Reference Group

1.1       The HASCIP Reference Group met on 24 June 2024 and agreed comments to be put to the Leader and Lead Member for consideration in July 2024. The meeting was attended by Councillors Howell and Ungar.

1.2       The information supplied to the Group to support its discussions comprised:

· Sussex Integrated Care Strategy Shared Delivery Plan (SDP) 2 year refresh summary report

· Sussex Health & Care Improving Lives Together, Shared Delivery Plan, Year 2

· Summary of changes to the East Sussex Health and Care Partnership Governance

1.3       The comments of the HASCIP Reference Group are set out below:

Overall progress of integrated care in East Sussex

1.4       The Group welcomed the proposal to continue focus on the shared vision and priorities for the County Council and the NHS for the population of East Sussex in the refreshed Sussex Shared Delivery Plan, and the joint strategic leadership, local commissioning and delivery at Place which is key to delivering the vision.

1.5       The Group welcomed the significant progress of integrated care in East Sussex and recognised not only the hard work of the Department, but the examples of best practice in East Sussex recently noted by the LGA Peer Review team, and the position of ESCC in leading this progress. Members noted they were confident that progress would continue.

Hospital Discharge

1.6       The Group discussed the challenges around hospital discharge and commented that this was an area that had not seen as much progress as others and sought assurance from officers of ongoing work across health, care and housing to address delays, including increasing levels of community support and therapy onwards.

Funding

1.7       The Group was concerned and sought assurance about potential impacts on services from the planned reduction in NHS running costs of 20% from 2024/25, and a further 10% reduction from 2025/26.

Governance

1.8       The critical role of the three Place Health and Care Partnerships to bring together the wider contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector and Local Authorities with NHS providers, the ICB and others in East Sussex, to deliver an integrated offer of health, care and wellbeing, accountable to the Health and Wellbeing Being Board was recognised. The Group agreed that there was a need to rationalise and reduce governance arrangements where possible and helpful, and sought assurance on any implications from the planned changes for delivery, including plans to streamline enabling groups for finance, workforce and digital.

Priorities

1.9       The Group endorsed the priorities in the draft SDP and welcomed the engagement and input from Children’s Services on the addition of Children and Young People as a specific area of focus in the SDP at a pan-Sussex level, in addition to the existing workstream in East Sussex.

Workforce

1.10     The Group was interested in and sought more information about the Guaranteed Employment model which was being used by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to guarantee student nursers an offer of employment whey they graduated.